ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter got married about a year ago and moved to New Jersey with her husband. He is from there, and his whole family lives in New Jersey as well. I have always been close with my daughter, so this has been a difficult transition for me because I live in Ohio. However, what has been even more difficult is how my daughter has ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I went to stay with a dear friend of many years who had moved several states away. Never having stayed at her house before, I was dismayed to find that the television in the main living area was on ALL the time.

The political views expressed were very extreme. It was also very loud, because her husband is hard of hearing. I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been with a man off and on for seven years. He is my best friend, and I can't live without him. A few years ago, he stole my stimulus check of $1,200, and he brought other women home, claiming he was only doing business with them.

He doesn't have a job. I'm paying all the bills by myself, and I'm struggling. I have my own ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My grandson "Ethan" and his fiancee lived with his mother until four years ago. When they moved out, they decided not to give his parents their new address. It has been several years since my daughter has seen her son. Apparently, they occasionally text.

Ethan was married seven months ago. He didn't invite his parents as he felt they...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have three adult grandchildren I love and adore. Unfortunately, when they were growing up, I didn't see them often; they lived three hours away from my husband, so I saw them only for the holidays. Now that they are adults, all three of them have moved across the country, which makes the three hours seem like nothing. I regret ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: In my high-rise condominium building, I must leave my flat and travel (generally via carpeted hallways and elevators) to various common areas in the building to deposit trash and collect mail. The whole building, including all common areas, has a single, guarded entrance, through which only residents and guests may pass.

What...Read more

Dear Annie: Kids today are pushed too early to make career decisions. The first two years of college are a good time to take different courses to see where one's interest lies. A major can easily be declared as a junior, and ample credits can be accumulated in that discipline in the last couple of years.

I took a career test in school that said...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My son married a lovely woman, "Noelle," two years ago. They live a couple of hours away and have a 1-year-old son, my third grandchild. Noelle's parents live 10 miles from my home. She and the baby go there nearly every weekend but NEVER come by mine. I haven't seen them since the baby's birthday five months ago.

My daughter lives ...Read more

The pause was brief, but stark, when some of us realized that a square on the Zoom was located in Minneapolis. There wasn't much to say as a reaction that hadn't been said before. The awkward dance feels as normal now as debating the right time to make eye contact and say hello to someone heading down the same hallway as you.

We have ...Read more

Dear Annie: My grandson, "Billie" is 5 years old and still not potty trained. We have tried everything to get him to use the toilet -- rewards, bribes, "gentle threats," etc. We suspect he has encopresis -- the repeated, involuntary passing of stool into the clothing. This can happen when impacted stool collects in the colon and rectum, while ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 31-year-old woman who is not yet established in life. I have no husband or boyfriend, no kids and no clear direction for a career. I start new, low-level jobs often. My problem is that I look deceptively young for my age. At most, I look 18 or 19.

These employers, co-workers and supervisors treat me differently, and some talk ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mom often criticizes me because I live an untraditional life, and it worries her at times. I understand she has good intentions, but I am too old for her to dictate the way I live. I am a digital nomad and have been traveling around Asia and Australia for the past three years. I work remotely and make enough to travel and even...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our dear friends Hank and Bridget have been married for more than 35 years. Each had been married previously and had one child each, and they have a child together. That child is now a married adult.

Here is the rub. Since her two half-siblings are each more than 10-15 years older, she has been treated like an only child and ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months ago. I've been through surgery and radiation treatments. According to the oncologists, I should now consider myself a "survivor." Since I have scars, I'm taking medication for the next 10 years that has potentially really bad side effects, and the chance of reoccurrence is a definite ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My mother passed away six years ago. She was a manipulative woman who had alienated all family members except my adult son. She promised him a sizable amount of money when she passed but didn't follow through. As the fiduciary of my parents' estate, I followed their trust directives as written, with no exceptions.

My son received a ...Read more